TWENTY MILES.
Today was my final long run before Chicago, and there is something very different about running 20 miles by yourself.
There’s no running buddy to keep you talking. No one to tell you, “You’ve got this,” when your legs are tired. No one to make the miles go by faster.
You have to learn to cheer yourself on.
And today, I definitely had to do that.
Some highlights from today’s adventure:
I got licked by a dog. Obviously, this was a highlight.
Somewhere around mile 7, I apparently dropped my water bottle.
Did I notice?
Nope.
I finally realized around mile 8 and had to retrace my steps to find it.
Including THAT HUGE HILL.
Because apparently 20 miles wasn’t enough.
Thankfully, I found my bottle!
I made it to the WCC during Members Appreciation Week and was greeted with some much-needed fuel — a mandarin and a banana. THANK YOU! That was exactly what I needed.
And a HUGE shoutout to Cumberland Farms for letting me refill my water bottle with ice-cold water. You have no idea how good that water tasted!
But somewhere around those final miles, things got HARD.
And with two miles to go, I decided there was only one reasonable thing to do:
Turn my long-sleeved shirt into a cape.
Because clearly, what I was missing wasn’t energy.
It was superhuman stamina.
So there I was, running the final two miles with my shirt flying behind me, calling upon whatever superhero-level reserves I had left.
Did it work?
Honestly… maybe.
Because I finished.
And the biggest part of today’s run wasn’t any of that.
It was realizing that when you’re running 20 miles alone, your mind becomes part of the training.
There were moments when things felt really, really hard. And when they did, I thought about my best friend, Katie, who should be celebrating her 50th birthday today.
I thought about her. I thought about our friendship. And then, when things started feeling a little dire, it was as if she sent me some music to cheer me on— music that made me think of her and smile.
So I kept going.
One mile.
Then another.
And another.
20 miles.
I’m tired. My legs are tired. But I also feel incredibly strong.
Because sometimes the biggest strength you gain from running isn’t physical.
It’s learning that you can keep yourself going.
You can encourage yourself.
You can find something — or someone — to think about when things get hard.
And apparently, you can also put on a cape and convince yourself you’re a superhero.
Today I ran those 20 miles while thinking about all the people who have supported me through this crazy marathon journey. The people who donate, cheer, wave, beep their horns, listen to me talk about running WAY too much, and remind me why I’m doing this.
And now there’s Chicago.
If you’d like to be part of the final push, I’m asking for $20 for my 20 miles today. I’m working toward my $4,000 fundraising goal for the Finish Strong Foundation, and every donation helps.
And Katie — Happy Birthday. ❤️ I love you!
Thank you for giving me exactly what I needed when I needed it today.
20 miles down. One marathon to go.
